Sheep versus Cattle. 551 



As to the first, I believe tlierc is no mode of sliccp farming practi- 

 cable but to buy in ewes, sell oft' tlio lambs, fat as many as can be 

 made so, the rest as stores, tlien feed off" as many of the ewes as are 

 too old, or otherwise unfitted, to breed again. Lambs cannot be 

 ■wintered with any certainty of success upon grass land, more espe- 

 cially where that grass land has been thickly stocked with sheep 

 diu'ing the previous summer. Assuming, then, that this is to be the 

 sort of sheep management adopted, the question is how to keep the 

 greatest number in the most profitable manner — or, in other words, 

 how to make the most money per acre by them. Three-foui'ths of 

 the land should be kept entirely free from stock from the end of 

 October, by which time the rams will be taken from the ewes, until 

 the lambing begins. On the other fourth the ewes will be wintered, 

 hurdling it over as a green crop, at the rate of about one quarter of 

 an acre per day to 100 ewes, and giving with it sufiicient hay, cut 

 into chaff", to kee}) them in condition. When near to lambing, ^ lb. 

 of oilcake per day should be given to each ; or, if the grass land is poor, 

 this may be done throughout the winter with benefit both to the land 

 and sheep. The land upon which the ewes have been thus wintered 

 should then be mo^vn. As the ewes di-op their lambs, turn them 

 into the fresh pastures, continuing the daily ^ lb. of cake with a little 

 hay-chafl'. When about a month old, the lambs will ivy to join the 

 ewes at the troughs, and then a small piece of the field should bo 

 hurdled off", and a little oilcake and chaff' j^laced in low troughs, the 

 lambs having access to them by means of a "lamb-gate" — viz., a 

 hurdle with upright revolving bars, 9 inches apart. As the lambs 

 take to the cake, the allowance to the ewes must be reduced, so that 

 the ^ lb. per ewe will not be exceeded for ewe and lamb together. In 

 this way one-third more ewes and lambs may be kept upon the same 

 land than could be maintained in good condition without assistance. 

 A larger jiroportion of the lambs will be ready early for the butcher, 

 making the best jn-ice ; and such as do not get fit to kill will pay 

 for their cake by being strong, healthy stores. Every grazier knows 

 that such lambs will go on and thrive with little risk or loss ; while 

 he equally well knows that little stunted scouring lambs are dear at 

 any price. The ewes will be in forward condition, and may soon go 

 to the butcher, making room for a new lot ; and the land will, by this 

 consumption of cake, gradually and certainly become capable of keep- 

 ing a greater stock. 



The chief objection to this kind of sheep farming is, the having to 

 buy in annually fresh ewes ; for, be it remembered, they are not sold 

 for their good qualities — they are either old or ill-formed, have lost a 

 quarter, or are otherwise bad sucklers. 



To obviate this objection I will adopt the second proposition : If 

 there is no arable land, break up some of the grass land — the worst — 

 breed and feed off" the wethers at a year old and the draft ewes, 

 keeping on the ewe lambs for stock. The management of the ewes 

 and lambs will still be much the same up to the middle of June, 

 after which time the lambs must depend upon the produce of the 



